A recurring BBC meme is that Prison is “a bad thing” and that better results are obtained by keeping criminals out of jail. So when the Prison Governor Association (PGA) urges government to scrap one year sentences essentially for economic reasons, you can be sure this will receive a warm welcome with the State Broadcaster. Naturally there is A concern expressed but it is that those guilty of even worse crimes might end up getting…GASP…even longer sentences.
Why does the BBC not put up one of the millions of people who have been at the receiving end of burglary, assault or abuse and ask how THEY feel about what the Governors suggest? It is perfectly reasonable for the BBC to provide the PGA with a platform for their liberal wishes (A “six month” sentence is more like six weeks in reality, we are casually informed during the Today interview) but why not allow some balance? I suggest that there are many millions of people who would like to see criminals punished more severely and yet that view point is given scarce prominence on the BBC. Why?
The statistic that kept being pushed was that 60% of those who serve prison sentences go on to re-offend. Of course the question not asked was what percentage of convicted criminals serving “community sentences” re-offend. Two other questions would be what percentage of convicted criminals serving community sentences re-offend whilst serving their sentence? I am pretty sure this figure would be higher than the re-offending figure for jailed criminals. http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2009/10/drip-drip-drop-of-lefty-bias.html
Yeh, I heard it too. Best bit was when the Guvner said we could save rhe prison budget of 4.5 billion. Well, it’s actually 2.4 bn (Guardian last week) and we cd only save all of that by closing all prisons.
We also heard on the Radio 4 news following the interview that “some experts” are concerned that this would actually increase the length of sentences. In other words, the BBC has decided that the impression to be given to its listeners is that the recommended sentencing policy doesn’t go far enough and, apparently, that there are no critical voices to the right of the Governor’s line.
Derbyshire gave a few people the right to air their views. One was a magistrate who thought that letting everyone under a 12 month sentence go free would be bad for society.
He stated that one offender had been banned from driving 5 times. Under present law they still keep letting him off with petty sentences and fines.
Of course if we took money away from prisons if they didn’t have som many people in them you can bet theselefties would soon change their minds.
Of course the leftists miss the very point Most Magistrates uise ASBOS, Community sentances and a slapped wrist long before these little gits get near a prison.
Then they claim that they don’t do long enough in prison to do any good. Well what a shock, get 12 months in prison, you get 1/3 off straight away and then you are eligible for parole after 50% of your remaining sentence is served. Add into that that time on remission in also considered some of these little gits is out in a few weeks.